12 days of Christmas drabble challenge
by nic73
Summary: Drabbles and Christmas, who can resist. This is for the Paint it Red Christmas challenge. I hope you enjoy.
1. Candy cane

Lisbon's curiosity's spiked. She's come back to find her missing house key. Her consultant is here, despite being nowhere in sight when she left. Oddity number one, Jane's sat as his desk. Oddity number two, his head's bent and his tongue is peaking out, just a little, a witness to the deep concentration he's giving his task.

"Jane?"

Jane jumps up, heads towards her and three things happen at once. Jane kisses her on the cheek and whispers Merry Christmas. Something's placed in her hands, a candy cane tied with an elaborate bow and her key attached.

"Jane?"

He's gone.


	2. Snow

Lisbon looks around:

"Where's Jane?"

Cho shrugs.

"Look after things here Cho"

"Sure boss."

Lisbon steps into the Entertainment Mall, full of people. She mutters:

"How am I going to find him in here?"

She walks up one way and the turns to come back, deciding that if she hasn't found him when she gets back to the crime scene they'll leave him. Then she hears his familiar voice, giddy with excitement.

"Again again!"

She peaks around the corner of the ski slope and finds her consultant with in full ski gear.

"Jane, what are you doing?"

"Snow Lisbon, Snow!"


	3. Eggnog

**Author's notes: I'm so looking forward to see how the relationship between Wiley and Jane develops. I can see it being sweet and funny. Thank you for Mossi and JaneDoe51 for your reviews and support. Hope you like this one. Apologies to the guest.**

Jane spies his victim, Jason Wiley. It's not that he doesn't like the boy. He does, the kid works hard and has an innocence about him that Jane finds endearing and irresistable in equal measure. But Jane can't resist the urge to have fun. FBI headquarters cries out for fun. And it's crying loudly in Jane's ear as Christmas approaches.

He's devised a plan of attack. Christmas decorations first. He needs help to gain access after hours when everyone's gone, this means computer help, this means Jason Wiley, this means exploitation, manipulation, Jane feels almost ashamed. Deal sealed over eggnog.


	4. Three Kings

"This murderer has a sick mind."

Jane stands up from inspecting the body and looks around at the giant nativity figures that surround them.

"It certainly doesn't sing of peace on earth and goodwill to all men."

"Very nice work. This isn't your usual cheap, grotesque affair, this is by someone who cares about the Christmas story."

Jane stops.

Aha"

"What, you got something."

"The King did it."

Lisbon opens her eyes in mock astonishment.

"C,mon Jane stop messing around."

"No seriously.

Jane is pointing to one of the gifts in the Kings hands.

"Is this gold, myrrh or frankincense?"


	5. Food

"Jane that's awful, I can't believe you did that!"

"I'm sure Jane is messing with you Grace."

Rigsby leans over towards Jane and indicates for him to stop, but Jane is having way too much fun. He crosses his heart.

"Honest,it's the absolute truth, Rigsby. Times were hard on the carny circuit, when It came time for Christmas you killed whatever animal wasn't performing well. When the old retirees were our only choice, the meat was a little tough.

Jane closes his eyes, as if, savouring the memory.

"Mind you, the oven needed for Slitheroe the third, was mind-blowing."


	6. Carols

Jane's surprised to find he's feeling nervous about the evening and he takes a moment to steel himself before knocking on Lisbon's door. He hears movement within and then a shout:

"Come in, I'll be with you in a moment."

Jane opens the door and steps inside. He looks around at the familiar room, lightly decorated for the Christmas season, and smiles to see the garish Snowman he gave her last year in pride of place. He relaxes, he can do this for his friend. Lisbon enters, they hug.

"Thanks Jane, I hate going to the carol concert by myself."


	7. Decorations

"Now Lisbon, you can't just copy me. Decorating your own home is a chance to put your personality on your surroundings, so you can feel comfortable and when people enter they get a sense of who you are. It's not something to take lightly, do it right and you will happily live with it for many years. Do it sloppily, or copy someone else's style and you will be tearing it down and redoing the whole thing again before the month is out. There are plenty of decorations to choose from so stop cheating and decorate your own gingerbread house."


	8. Stockings

Christmas is everywhere in the department store. The murder business has been busy and this is the first chance Jane has had to buy presents for his friends. He's suddenly stopped in his tracks. A familiar looking stocking, hanging on the shelf, with all the others, is grabbing his heart, squeezing it tight. His mind is filling with images of filled stockings in his Malibu home, presents piled high under the tree. A happy couple laughing as their daughter covers each parent with kisses at every amazing present she opens. He looks down at the meagre offerings in his hands.


	9. Christmas Eve

The small Christmas tree, to outside observers, is a sorry sight, a Christmas reject if ever there was one. Its decorations are few, one string of lights the husband rescued, after spying them trailing out of a refuse bin. He soon has them working. The wife strings popcorn, and cuts Christmas shapes out of a dollar box of Christmas cards and hangs them on the tree. After the husband, in what would become a Christmas Eve tradition, places the aluminum star on top, they stare at the first ever Jane family Christmas tree and declare it the loveliest tree ever!


	10. Elves

Jane drops the tea bag in to the waste bin, picks up his cup and enter the bullpen. Silence reigns as he looks around him. No one sitting at the desks, work cleared away, filed or hidden in drawers. It's their turn to have vacation time over the holidays and everyone was going 'somewhere' to spend Christmas. Jane has nowhere to go. He sighs and climbs the stairs. As he reaches his door, his senses become alert, someone's been in. He carefully opens the door, and is greeted with tinsel, lights, a Christmas tree, presents, a banner, Merry Christmas Jane!


	11. Star

Twinkle, Twinkle, little star,

How I wonder where you are.

Jane carefully stands up from the rocking chair and lays his daughter in the crib. He strokes her fine, blonde curls and gently places a kiss on her forehead. He gazes at her as she sleeps, seeing her mother in the line of her nose. This baby completes the hope and peace that is his world after so much darkness.

This is a Christmas of miracles, filled with his own baby, who lights his world, and an angel, waiting for him in the bedroom. Life after Red John is sweet.


	12. Jingle Bells

**Author's note: The last one of the series. A big thank you to Mossi and JaneDoe51 for all your lovely support. To Sue Shay. clairebare, Ag and MaryMc49 for your review of the last chapter. I hope you enjoy this last one, it has reference to 'Jolly Red Elf.' Have a wonderful Christmas mentalist fans. I may publish a chapter after Christmas depending how the season goes, but I definitely will be back in the New Year!**

Teresa is jumping up and down with excitement, standing beside her mom. It feels like they've been waiting in line for ages and ages and it's still too long. She becoming anxious that there won't be any presents left by the time she gets there, or the store will close and he'lll have to go back to the North Pole. Her mom squeezes her hand smiling down reassuringly. Finally the elf shakes the jingle bells and it's her turn. As she sits on his lap, he smells funny, he talks funny and his beard's crooked.

"Mom this isn't Santa Claus!"


End file.
